Saturday evening at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn sees the return of former WBC heavyweight world champion, Deontay Wilder in his first appearance of 2022, and he goes straight into an eliminator for his old title against the tried and tested Robert Helenius.
FITE TV pay-per-view is the place to see Wilder vs Helenius in the UK, whilst FOX Sports pay-per-view will broadcast the fight in the USA.
Wilder (42-2-1, 41 KOs) will have definite question marks hanging over him after a pair of gruelling inside schedule losses to Tyson Fury in his last two outings.
The Alabama man became WBC champion in 2015 when he went the twelve round distance for the first and only time in his career in a wide win against Bermane Stiverne, and made seven successful defences before meeting Fury in their first clash.
‘The Gypsy King’ seemed to be coasting to victory, only to be dropped twice, once heavily, and the fight was declared a draw.
‘The Bronze Bomber’ defended his belt another two times before encountering Fury once more, but this time the Brit made no mistake, hammering the 36-year-old in a seventh round stoppage.
After legal wrangles on a trilogy meeting, the third fight took place last October, and it was a wild affair. Wilder was down three times, and dropped Fury twice before being knocked out in eleven.
Finland’s Helenius (31-3, 20 KOs) looks like a safe return fight and the pair have history, with Wilder calling him into camp for his preparation for his third fight with the aforementioned Fury.
The Finn is a perennial gatekeeper, and has not yet challenged for world honours, but has regularly figured in the world rankings.
The 38-year-old has been stopped by Dillian Whyte and Gerald Washington, but is coming off a pair of eye-catching wins.
’The Nordic Nightmare’ met the much hyped Adam Kownacki in March 2020, and ruined the Pole’s unbeaten record in a fourth round win, and backed that up in a rematch, halting him in round six last October.
Prediction: Wilder will look to make a statement return here, and Helenius should be an ideal opponent to do just that against. I imagine he will go for broke early, with plenty of wild lefts and rights, and he can remove Helenius from battle within four rounds.
Plant battles Dirrell
Caleb Plant also returns from world title defeat, and he takes on former two-time WBC world champion, Anthony Dirrell over twelve rounds at super middleweight in a bout which serves as a WBC eliminator.
Plant (21-1, 12 KOs) lost his IBF belt last November, stopped in eleven when challenging for the undisputed crown against Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez, but he did acquit himself well.
Dirrell (34-2-2, 25 KOs) has patchy recent form, and is 1-1-1 in his last three outings. He was stopped in nine by David Benavidez in September 2019, before being held to a draw by Kyrone Davis five months later.
The 37-year-old is coming off a win, stopping Marcos Hernandez in four on the undercard of Plant’s defeat to Canelo.
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Prediction: Plant should take this one on the cards.
Russell & Rodriguez run it back
The last scheduled twelve rounder comes at bantamweight, and Gary Antonio Russell faces off against former world champion Emmanuel Rodriguez in a rematch.
The pair met in August last year, but the fight was curtailed inside a round and declared a no contest with Rodriguez (20-2, 13 KOs) unable to continue due to an accidental headbutt.
Prediction: The Puerto Rican has lost two of his last three, and Russell (19-0, 12 KOs) can take a points win.
Remaining Undercard
Exciting looking heavyweight Frank Sanchez (20-0, 13 KOs) is also in action, and the Cuban can defend his WBC Continental Americas title, and stop Carlos Negron (25-3, 20 KOs) inside their ten round distance.
In the other ten rounder Vito Mielnicki Jr (12-1, 8 KOs) may need the distance to see off Limberth Ponce (19-5, 11 KOs) at super welterweight.
In eight round action, there should be an early win for Michel Rivera (23-0, 14 KOs) against Jerry Perez (14-1, KO11) at lightweight.
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Gurgen Hovhannisyan (3-0, 3 KOs) should score another early win at heavyweight against Michael Polite Coffie (13-2, 10 KOs).
In six rounders, heavyweight Geovany Bruzon (7-1, 6 KOs) can overcome the unbeaten James Evans (4-0-1, 4 KOs) inside schedule, and at super bantamweight, Michael Angeletti (6-0, 5 KOs) can take the battle of the unbeatens against Jeremy Adorno (7-0, 3 KOs).
At super lightweight, Keeshawn Williams (9-1-1, 2 KOs) may need the cards to take the win against Julio Rosa (5-1, 2 KOs).
The sole four rounder is at super bantamweight, and Miguel Roman (2-0) can outscore Jose Negrete (2-0, 2 KOs).
